I have a 2020 Chevrolet Colorado 4x4. I want to be able to use a front winch to pull myself out of sand or mud if necessary. I was looking at the Warne semi hidden front bumper that will accept a Warne winch. Since this would be a nearly permanent install, I am not terribly set on it.

I've been thinking of having a front hitch installed so that I can have a winch on a cradle to use when I go places it might be needed, and which I can remove at other times. I would be able to mount the winch front or rear. I'd also be able to use a cargo carrier or other accessories. So this idea appeals to me much more.

The GVW of my truck is 6,000 lbs. So would a 9,000 lb straight line pull rating for the hitch and winch be adequate? I'm talking beach sand occasionally and hard packed roads that can get really soft with lots of rain.

Any other thought or suggestions on set ups would be appreciated. If you care to share a pic of your set up, that'd be great.

My last three trucks have had both front and rear 2" Reese-style receivers.

The same 4500 pound hitch-mountable winch has served me well on all three trucks.

These have been (in order) a 1 ton Chevy, a 3/4 ton GMC and now a 1/2 ton Tundra. Yup, I've had to double the line through a snatch block once or twice, but that beats trying horse a 9000 pound winch around IMO.

Winching stuck vehicles, felling trees and scuba diving are similar in that they involve much more than most people recognize.

What the vehicle weighs on a scale at the co-op,
And what it weighs out in the boonies up to its rocker panels can be very different.

Don't forget winches require anchors ,
What are the chances that you will be getting stuck 45 feet from an appropriate anchor point ?

Winches also require pretty fair amounts of electricity,

Will you also be considering a better electrical generator and or an auxiliary battery ?

Those that don't extract stuck vehicles on a regular basis ,get hurt ,substantially every year.

Just a cautionary thought .

We looked at a winch when we were exploring the Southwest areas.

Decided against it,
The best tools we had were between our ears, they served us well

I am not too familiar with the Colorado design so this may not apply but something to consider. I had almost zero winch options for the Expedition and I considered the front hitch winch mount.
I would have lost a serious amount of approach angle based upon how low the hitch mount was. Also there was no way to keep the engine skid plate without serious modification.
You’ll likely get tired of attaching and reattaching it then need a place to store it. Just things to think about.

I would do a bumper mount. I think this looks really good.
http://midwestoverlandindustri...lorado-winch-bumper/

Traction boards and recovery ropes with another truck tend to be a little easier but of course depends how stuck you are.

The problem with a front mounted winch to get yourself unstuck is that most of the time the best place to go is behind you. Going forward usually gets you in deeper and there isn't anything there to anchor to.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
The problem with a front mounted winch to get yourself unstuck is that most of the time the best place to go is behind you. Going forward usually gets you in deeper and there isn't anything there to anchor to.

Seems like a good argument in favor of a hitch mounted winch with front and rear receivers.

When I was in the military I remember a Romanian? maybe Bulgarian truck that had a vertically mounted winch motor that was between the bed and the cab.
The motor had a long shaft that went below the bed and cab and provided cable for both ends without loss of approach/departure angle.
It was simple and smart.

Might check out what AEV has to say....

Here is their Colorado page...

https://www.aev-conversions.com/vehicles/zr2-bison/

Here is a quick note that I spotted...

"The optional Warn 9.5xp-s (ZR2 Bison) and Warn Zeon 10-S (ZR2) winches integrate behind the front bumper without causing any adverse affect on vehicle cooling."

And here is their accessories page for the Colorado...

https://www.aev-conversions.co...ccessories-colorado/

I have wanted to do this for many years and looked into it very hard. I loved the idea of not hauling around ~90 lbs of winch/bracket when there is no chance I will need it (ie commuting) and I REALLY wanted the ability to pull backwards (Every time I have gotten a military vehicle stuck, backwards would have been the easiest way out)... This spring I decided against it because:

- Once I added the cost of this set-up: removable cradle (~$2-300) + a good HD vehicle specific hitch for the front of my tacoma (~$400) + ~15' of 2/0 cable (~$100 +connectors $$); there was no cost savings versus a decent slim-line or middle of the road winch bumper.

- I read some warnings and made sense regarding pulling from any kind of angle with this set-up. Something like the winch sticking out even only ~12" has a significantly unfavorable leverage effect on your truck. Don't quote me, you can only pull ~15-30 degrees left or right at an acceptable level or risk (Versus bumper mount, the line angle is almost right in front of the frame rails and a 45 degree or more pull angle is fine.

- You CAN winch your truck backwards with a front mounted winch. Either 1) cable gets pulled under the truck with careful placed logs or wood to cushion between the undercarriage bits and the line. 2) Set up a series of tackle blocks (Check YouTube, cool video) You do need a good anchor fore and aft as well as extra line and 3 tackle blocks. But its cool

o Once this Rona stuff winds down (And with it my financial risks) I plan on going with "Southern Style" [brand] slimline bumper and a low-mid range USA Warn winch.

Personally I think the front and rear receiver hitch option for a part time off road vehicle is an excellent option. Ditch the winch in the garage when its not needed, throw it in a bed mounted toolbox when you might. Added benefit is that you can slide an insert in that front hitch and use it to back a trailer into spots that would be way harder to accomplish operating off the rear receiver hitch.

I have both. I have an 8k front mount on our wrangler and a 9k front hitch mount on my ram 1500. I also just got a 12k synthetic winch to mount behind the bumper on the ram and will have a quick batt connect on the rear of both vehicle's so i can have a winch on both ends.

Also both vehicle's have over $100 worth of 30' straps, shackles, 6ft tree savers, at least 3 snatch blocks, among various other items that are needed to get out of stuff and protective gear.

Here in Alaska during the snow season i get called out about twice a week to pull someone out, its it's worth it to have what you need. I also have a 18lb anchor that i use in mud or sand when there's nothing to winch off of.

Old jeep guy I met told me, "they only put those things on the ones that get stuck."

quote:

Originally posted by x0225095:
Might check out what AEV has to say....

Here is their Colorado page...

I don't have a ZR2 or a Bison model. Mine is a Colorado W/T.

This is the bumper from Warne I am considering.

https://www.warn.com/semi-hidd...-for-colorado-103210

Pro vs cons...

I added a winch...used it first time out to recover a Jeep stuck in mud hole. Threw the lead to him, used wireless, out in two minutes. Easy Peasy. No fuss lugging out winch, mounting it, etc

The idea of a winch that can be moved is good...until you get stuck in a mud hole. Then you need to get in there to mount it? Maybe front bumper is under water?

But if just rock crawling, no issue.

So it depends on your situation.

quote:

You CAN winch your truck backwards with a front mounted winch. <snip> 2) Set up a series of tackle blocks (Check YouTube, cool video) You do need a good anchor fore and aft as well as extra line and 3 tackle blocks. But its cool

I watched a video with a guy from Warn doing this. It isn't a straight pull backwards, but rather a sideways pull partial backwards pull at the same time.

Basically, you set up a triangle with the winch line using two trees off to the same side of the stuck vehicle. One tree is in front and one tree is behind. The vehicle itself is the third vertex. You setup a 2-1 pull between the rear of the vehicle and the tree off to the side and behind the vehicle. As you reel in the winch, the 2-1 pull makes the vehicle go backwards while the rest pulls the vehicle sideways.

I've had permanent winches on my last two Jeeps. I've never, knock on wood, had to use it for self rescue but have pulled out a few folks that were stuck. I'm not sure I'd want to mess with mounting and unmounting but it seems to work for some.

I've used a recovery strap almost as much as a winch to help folks. It's my first thought when coming up on a situation.

I did need to be winched once, during an off road event I got high centered. Jeep in front turned around, another fellow hooked up the cable and I was moving in about 5 minutes. I had a SigForum member with me, Texas Scrub.

I've pulled many people out, been pulled out a few times. Last time was last month on the beach. (Don't pull a giant RV Trailer in deep sand, I don't care how cool your 4X4 is, once you loose traction and momentum it going down to the frame)
I ran a Search and Rescue team in N. california for years. central valley to High sierra. I've seen every type of winch set up you can imagine. The following is completely my humble opinion based on dealing with 100s of stuck in the mud, snow, sand, water and rock incidents.

Get a set of ARB TRED PRO Recovery Boards and a shovel. Air down your tires and drive out. Get a good small air compressor. Its a pain in the ass and takes forever to air up when its 14 degrees but its worth it.

I've mostly used my winch to either recover someone else, pull trees out of the road, or over a branch to take the top off my Wrangler JK. They work great for getting through something short when used ahead of time. Think steep rocks, mud pit, stream or deep sand area. As other have said your anchor is where the money is. Having the biggest high speed plasma lined 20,000lb winch does you no good without an anchor. Get as many recovery straps as you'll think you can ever need- then get two more. Watch some Youtube videos on people explaining the use in an area similar to where your going.

I had a front receiver on an F150 for work. It was there before I got the truck. It wasnt mounted high enough and I always scraped that thing on stuff both in the city and bouncing around in the back country. I'm not against this type, but I wouldn't choose it for me. I like my winch mounted to the frame and the hook high enough to get it if the nose of my vehicle is under water/snow/mud. I hate having to try to mount that heavy thing, front or rear, and every time I bumped that receiver I wondered if THAT time I bent it just enough that the hitch won't go in. I've seen it alot though, and I've personally never heard of any body having a lot of problems.

I know how to reverse the pull, and always carried enough equipment to do it. But all of it is expensive, and requires maintenance. I used a come-along to pull myself backwars out of being lightly stuck several times. They are fast(ish) to set up, cheap, light and I always carried one.

Whatever you decide- my best advice is the recovery boards, a shovel and learn how to use whatever you get. Once you get a winch- go play with it. Pull your rig over a log in the driveway. Drag your neighbors Prius across the street when he's asleep

All just my humble opinion.